by Alan Furst
Part of Night Soldiers, book 2
First published 2002
André Szara has survived Polish pogroms and Russian civil wars to become a foreign correspondent for Pravda. But in 1937, as tensions mount across Europe, the NKVD pulls him into the shadows. The Soviet secret service wants Szara to abandon journalism for espionage. He accepts a position running spy networks from Paris, coordinating operations across a continent sliding toward war. When Szara successfully recruits a valuable asset in Berlin, someone with access to vital intelligence, his reputation within the service grows. He climbs the ranks of what Soviet operatives call special work. Yet each success draws him deeper into a world where allies and enemies shift like smoke, where a single mistake means death or worse. From the cafes of Paris to the back streets of Prague, Szara navigates the deadly game of international espionage. The work demands everything from him: his identity, his safety, his conscience. As Europe hurtles toward catastrophe, Szara must decide how much of himself he will sacrifice for the cause.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, spy
Setting: Berlin, Paris, Prague
Period: 1937
446 pages · Paperback · Random House Publishing Group
Content warnings: death, violence